Elastic-fluid turbine.



E. THOMSON.

ELASTIC FLUID TURBINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.14, 1904.

92Q,789. Patented May 4, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Inventor", El i m4 hornscm,

E. THOMSON.

ELASTIC FLUID TURBINE; APPLICATION FILED DEG.14,1904,

920,789. Patented May 4, 1909.

2 SHBETS-SHEET 2.

Fig.5.

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Witnesses: Inventor:

Elihu Thomson, y W

UNITED STATES PATENT curios.

COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF 'NEW YORK.

ELASTIC-FLUID TURBINE.

nausea-so.

- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 4, 1909.

Application filed December 14, 1504. Serial No. 236,822.

Toall whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELrHU THOMSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Swampsc'ott, county of Essex, State of M-as.

sachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inElasticeFluid Tur- "bines, of Whichthe following is a specifica-.

tion.

In the operation of elastic-fluid turbines, more 'or less difficulty isexperienced at times, due to the warping'or bending of the wheels orbucket-carrying elements, which in certain types of machines areofrelatively large diameter, said war ing or bendin resuiting a distortion0 the buckets rom their normal position or plane of operation. In otherwords, the edge of the bucket in-' stead of being at a iven angle to theshaft is at some other ang e, either greater or less. This is due to thefact that one portion of the wheel or bucket-carrying element has adifferent tem erature than another portion, and frequent y results inserious injury to the buckets or other parts when improperly set oradjusted.

The present invention has for its object to improve the constructionofbucket-carrying elements so that the temperature effects thereon,above referred to, can be eliminated or so far reduced that.they can bedisregarded.

v The invention also includes certain other novel features ofconstruction whereby the turbine is improved, as will behereinafterreferred to.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate certain embodiments ofthe invention, Figure 1 is a partial axial section of an elastic-fluidturbine; Fig. 2 is a partial axial section of a slightly modified formof the invention; Fig. 3 is a partial longitudinal section of a furthermodification;- and Fig. 4 is a detail view of a means foropposing endvthrust of the shaft.

1 represents the main shaft of the turbine 11 on which is mounted adriving support 2. T llS support may be in the form 0 a disk, spokedWheel, or other construction, as desired.. Mounted upon. the support is'a' bucket-carrier 8 of suitable construction, which is subjected to agradually decreasing temperature toward the exhaust corresponding to thedecreasing temperature. of the motive fluid as it flows along thecarrier snd its heat energy is converted into energy of motion by therotating buckets on the carrier and the cooperating nozzles andintermediate buckets. With a steam supply of perature and a given loadthe temperature of the turbine rotor and casing will gradually decreasetoward the exhaust end ofthe turbine, but the temperature of any givenregion will remain unchanged. When the is increased or decreased to"meet the new conditions, the temperature of said region variations inthe expansion of its arts. Thus with a decrease in'load the ex austpress'ureand temperature extend a greater distance toward the admissionend of the turbine with a gradation of temperature in the region betweenthe admission and. exhaust conditions. With an increase in load theregion of exhaust pressure and temperature is moved toward the exhaustend of the turbine with "corresponding changes in the more extendedportion then. lying between said region and the admission end of theturbine. Since the load on an ordinary turbine is subject to frequentvariations it follows that its' temperature is subject to similarvariations, as above'described, tending to roduce'distortion of theturbine'parts.

' he carrier 3 may be 'formed integrally with the drivingsu port 2 orseparatetherefrom, as shown in *1gs.'2 and 3, and secured in place bybolts. In the present illustration the carrier is made in the form of acylinder having a smooth periphery to which bolts or other attachingmeans. rings are .provided with one, two or more rows of buckets 5. Thebase ortion of the buckets maybe made in the orm of aring or segmentsthereof as desired. The bucket carrier is provided with one or moi'e"nondriving sup orts' 6 which. engage a suitable surface on t e carrierand serve to center and sup ort it, without, however, constraining itsong'itudinal movement due to expansion and contraction. The non-drivingsupport may be fixed on the shaft, and in frictional engagpmentwith thebucket carrier, or it may e fixed with respect to the carrier and freeto slide on the shaft or part carried thereby.

substantially constant pressure and tem-.

load changes and the supply of motive fluid will change accompanied bycorresponding the bucket-carrying rings 4 are secured by a These.

Situated adjacent to the driving support or otherwise suitably locatedis a disk 7 of relatively thin metal which is attached to the hub of themain support 2 or to the shaft as desired? Between this plate and thesupport nozzle 10 and the wheel casing 11 to fill thechamber. I mayhowever "provide one or more additional passages 12 to convey steam tothe chamber 8. .This passage or passages receives steam after it hasacted one or more times on the wheel buckets.

The non-driving support 6 acts sim l as a steadying and centering meanswhic ee s the bucket carrier concentric with the sha t, but, which in noway constrains it from endwise movement as it expands and contracts. Itwill therefore be seen that although the carrier may expand and contractthe edges of the buckets will stillbe at right an les to the axis ofrotation. In other worc s the plane orposition of each row of buckets remains unchanged.

If desired the non-driving support 6 may be slightly corrugated near itsouter edge, and thus give a certain elasticity so that it would bemeasurably flexible if fitted tightly to the bucket-carrier. It can bemade so thin on the edge as to be measurably flexible,- and if fittedtightly to the bucket-carrier should not be strong enough to constrainthe drivin support 2. The casin 1 3 of the machine s ould preferably bema e of a material having the same coefficient of expansion as thebucket-carrier 3. Mounted within the casing is a cylindrical structure14 which carries one or more rows of intermediate buckets locatedbetween the wheel buckets, and one or more nozzles or other fluiddischarging devices 15 which may be secured in place by bolts or be castintegral with said structure. By reason of this construction the nozzlesand intermediate buckets can be first assembled and then mounted in themachine it being understood that the casing is suitably divided. Byusing a separate supportbuckets.

ing conduit 17 that leads to the atmosphere or to a condenser asdesired.

Steam is admitted to the turbine from the valve chest 25 by one or morevalves 26. Ordinarily a luralitv of valves will be employed and tlieywill 0 erate one after the other in a predetermine sequence under thecontrol of any suitable governing mechan- 18111.

In Fig. 2 is shown aslight modification wherein the bucket-carrier 27'ismade in the form of a cylinder with a plurali t of grooves, eacharranged to receive a ring 0 buckets 28. The latter will be made insegments and secured. to the carrier by bolts The carrier is supportedby a driving support 29 that'is rigidly bolted thereto and is supportedat its outer ends by non-driving su ports 30 and 31. The latter are soarrange that the do not constrain the endwise movement 0 the cylindricalbucket-carrier as it expands or contracts. These non-driving supportsmay I be of the same construction as previously described. The drivingsuiport has one or more openings to permit t e pressures which may existon opposite sides thereof to equalize. V y

In Fig. 3 is shown a further modification wherein the periphery of thebucket-carrier is provided with a series of step-like shouldersadapted'to receive the rings of buckets. In this case the buckets may be formedas complete rings and afterward mounted on the carrier, suitable boltsbeing provided for securing them in place, or they may be madesegmental. The driving support 29 is constructed as described inconnection with Fig. 2, as are also the non-driving supports 30 and 31.By arranging the bucket-carrier with a series of step-like shoulders theexpansion necessary to take care of the increase in volume of the motivefluid in both stationary and moving buckets can be readily attained. g I

In some cases there may be a considerable end thrust on the main shaftdue to the action of the motive fluid on the buckets. ln

vertical shaft machines the weight of the revolving parts has to beconsidered as well as the ell'ects of thrust. Fig. 4 shows anarrangement which may be used in a horizontal or vertical shaft machine,and is one that is economical in the use of lubricating or other fluid.The end of the shaft, or an enlargement on the end of theshaft, is 10-cated in a suitable chamber 19 containing fluid under a pressure whichis more or less great depending upon the amount of the end thrust or theweight of the parts or both, and the pressure of the fluid supply.Projecting through the wall of the 'chan'iber, or located in a positionto be acted upon by the endwise movement of the shaft is a valve 20 thatisnormzilly urged against its seat by fluid pressure or an adjustablespring 21, or

both. Fluid such as oil or water, and preferably the latter where steamis the motive fluid, is admitted to the chamber 2 by the pipe 28 from apump, accumulator or other source of high pressure. The pressure in thechamber 22 must be somewhat above that in the chamber 19 so that as soonas the shaft moves endwise sufficiently to open the valve a certainamoun of fluid will rush into the chamber, push the shaft away from thevalve and permit the latter to close.

action will take lace intermittently, and obviously sirce t evalve willbe closed a portion of the time the amount of fluid required is lessthan where an unvalved pas sage is used. It is desirable to place thevalve in line with the axis of the shaft to prevent excessive wear. Theend of the valve and shaft may be provided with removable wearingplates.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I havedescribed the principle of operation of my invention, together with theapparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof;but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is onlyillustrative, and that the invention can be carried out by other means.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is,

1. In an elastic fluid turbine, the combination of a shaft, acylindrical carrier, a row of buckets mounted thereon, a driving supor'. for the carrier connected with the sha 't, means for equalizingthe temperatures on different portions of the driving support,and anon-driving support for the carrier mounted on the shaft which permitsexpansion and contraction of the parts under temperature changes Withoutdistorting the buckets from their normal plane or position.

2. In an elastic-fluid turbine, the combination of a carrier mounted onthe shaft, a row of buckets mounted'on the carrier, a support for thecarrier which permits expansion and contraction of the parts undertemperature changes without distorting the buckets from their normalplane, and means for equalizing the temperatures on different portionsof the support.

3. In an elastic-fluid turbine, the combination of a bucket carrier, ashaft, a means connecting the carrier and the shaft for transmittingmotion from one to the other,

a device for equalizing the temperatures on different portions of saidmeans, and a non driving means mounted on the shaft which permits theparts to expand and contract under temperature changes, at the same timepreserving the proper relation of the buckets.

4. In an elastic-fluid turbine, the combination of a bucket-carrier, ashaft, 9. driving This I support which connects the carrier 'with theshaft, means for equalizing the temperatures on opposite sides of thedriving support, and

a non-driving support on the Shaft which.

nation of a bucket-carrier, a shaft, a driving support which connectsthe carrier with the shaft, means for equalizing the temperature onopposite sides of the support, and a nondrivmg support which centers thecarrier without constraining its movements.

6. An elastic fluid turbine comprising a bucket carrier, a shaft, acasing, and fluid discharging devices, in combination with a driving suport for the carrier connected with the she t, means for equalizing thetemperatures on opposite sides of the driving support, and a non-drivingsup ort on the shaft which prevents distortiono the bucketcarrier butpermits it to ex and and contract longitudinally under 0 anges intemperature.

7. In an elastic fluid turbine, the combination of a shaft, acylindrical carrier having rows of buckets mounted thereon, a drivingsupport for the carrier connected. to the shaft and to the carrierintermediate its ends, and non-driving carrier supports extendingbetween the shaft and carrier adjacent its outer 'ends which ermit it toexpand and contract longitudina yunder changes in temperature.

8. In an elastic fluid turbine, the combination of a shaft, acylindrical bucket carrier having a driving supplort mounted on theshaft, and a steam-tig t disk extending between the shaft and carrier atone side of the support.

9. In an elastic fluid turbine, the combination of a shaft, acylindrical member hav ing a driving support mounted on the shaft, asteam-tight disk extending between the shaft and the inner surface.of'the member, which disk is free to distort without transmitting thedistortion to said su port, and a chamber between the disk and supportto which motive fluid has access for the purpose of equalizing thetemperatures on opposite sides of the driving su port.

. 10. In an elastic ffflid turbine, the combination of a casing, a rotorlocated therein, a shaft, means for connecting the rotor rigidly to theshaft at one place, means for su porting the remainder of the rotor upont e shaft without confining it longitudinally so as to allow for unequalexpansion and contraction of the turbine parts under the varying heatingeffect of the motive fluid flowing along the surface of the rotor withinthe easing, rows of buckets carried by the rotor for driving it, bucketsarranged. in rows and carried by thecasing which receive motive fluidthe supply of motive fluid to said nozzle deand dlscharge it against therows of buckets vice. w v on the-rotor, means for initially admitting Inwitness whereof Ihavehereunto set my fluid to the buckets including anozzle device hand this twelfth day of December, 1904.

3 mounted on the casing which converts the I ELIHU THOMSON. pressure ofthe motive uid-into vlbcityand! Witnesses: r

discharges it against certain of the buckets 1 JOHN A. MCMANUS, J12,

on the rotor, and mechanism for controlling "DiJ'GALD MoK. McKrLLor.

